Global Warming

Global warming is the event wherein the temperature on the surface of the Earth increases. This phenomenon has been felt during the middle part of the 20th century with temperature measurements resulting to an increase of between 0.74 to 0.18 degrees Celsius. This increase in the temperature is said to have been caused by the continuous release of gases into the atmosphere. These gases accumulate in the atmosphere and produce the greenhouse effect leading to an increase in the temperature on Earth.

There are different reasons why global arming is happening. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) asserts that human activity is one of the leading causes of the phenomenon. Burning of fossil fuels to produce energy produces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that ends up in global warming. Deforestation is another major reason as trees that filter the air to remove harmful gases are now gone due to forest clearing for modern infrastructure.

As a result of global warming, ice caps will melt and will add the sea levels and increase the temperature in the arctic and polar areas. Precipitation patterns will also change due to the change in the temperature. Extreme weather conditions such as super typhoons and hurricanes can develop and disrupt human life in a snap.

Certain steps have also been taken to reduce the effects of global warming across different nations. The Kyoto Protocol has been adapted by various nations to reduce their gas emissions. Some other options presented to stop or reduce the effects of global warming are adaptation which aims to reduce the adversities brought by global warming, mitigation that aims to lower the amount of emissions, and geoengineering which is said to be a way to revert the global warming phenomenon.